The Los Angeles Kings are currently in the midst of a 12-day break, which was well earned given they finished with 10 out of a possible 12 points going 4-0-2 on their recent six-game Eastern Conference tour. This trip was seen as a pivotal moment where the team could pick up important points as they continued their fight to stay in the playoff picture. The Kings rose to the occasion: they completed their best six-game road trip in franchise history. Here are six key takeaway from the trip.
Second-Line Success
The Kings’ second line has emerged as a dominate force. Since being placed together, Trevor Moore, Phillip Danault, and Viktor Arvidsson have demonstrated natural chemistry. However, it was not until this recent road trip that they went on an absolute tear by putting up a collective 15 points over the six games.
Trevor Moore lead the way with seven points (two goals, five assists). Right now, he is putting up the best numbers of his career and he is proving that he is second-line material. Arvidsson tallied a total of five points (four goals, one assist) as he continues to showcase his shot mentality and Danault put up three points (two goals, one assist), which considering that he is so defensively minded is still impressive.
For the first time in years, the Kings have a second line that is both consistently producing offensively and exhibiting steady defensive play. As a result of this, they have also solidified their top-six forward group, adding to the recent strides they have made en route to re-emerging as a team that is in the hunt to make the playoffs. The continued success of this line will be key going down the stretch.
Struggling Special Teams
The Kings have continued their season-long trend by struggling on special teams. On the power play, they had an abysmal 13.3 percent conversion rate throughout the trip. This number is below their season-long average 15.65 percent which, itself, is about 5 percent lower than the league average. In addition, they also allowed a shorthanded goal against the Philadelphia Flyers, their seventh shorthanded goal against this season. They currently rank second in the league for shorthanded goals allowed, only behind the New Jersey Devils’ eight.
While not as bad as the power play, the penalty kill is also experiencing some difficulties. On the trip, it was 78.95 percent successful. Although it should ideally be in the range of the mid-to-high eighties, this number is not embarrassing. In fact, it is just under the league average of 79.41 percent. However, if the Kings are looking to make a legitimate run at the playoffs, this number is simply not good enough despite the fact that it is above their season average of a 73.44 percent kill rate.
Something needs to change with the special teams. While the Kings have proved as of late that they are a team that is emerging as a competitive force, even against some of the league’s top teams, their poor performance on special teams has greatly hindered them, especially in key situations. The sloppy shorthanded goal they allowed against Philadelphia proved to be the difference maker in a game they legitimately could have won. Something also has to be done about the power play because, while things have looked far better as of late, the team has struggled with goal scoring at various points throughout the season.
Late-Game Surges
There were three late-game surges over the course of the trip, two that are cause for concern and one late-game rush that allowed the Kings to force the Flyers game into overtime. Starting with the latter, Anže Kopitar managed to tie the game up with under a minute to go. This was the first time the Kings tied up a game after pulling their goalie since Dec. 2019. Even though they would go on to lose the game, this is surely something they can build off of.
On a less positive note, the Kings were winning 2-0 against the New York Islanders until they pulled their goalie late and got a goal back with just over two minutes left in the game. Luckily, Adrian Kempe quickly responded with an empty netter as the Islanders were able to get another goal back making the final score 3-2.
Against the Detroit Red Wings, the Kings were leading 3-2 when the Red Wings pulled their goalie. Viktor Arvidsson quickly responded with an empty netter to seemingly put the game away. Nevertheless, the Red Wings were still able to get one back with a little under a minute to go. Once again, Kempe was there to save the day as he buried an empty netter to shore up the win for the Kings.
The team allowing these late goals is not the fault of the netminders. The team has been getting trapped in their own zone against opponents who are truly desperate to tie the game up. This is definitely something that needs to be worked on. In late-game situations, especially when leading by only a small margin, it is important to try and get every clear possible and play actively. The team will not always be so fortunate to find empty-net opportunities when they need them.
Alternating Goaltenders
The Kings are in a truly unique goaltending situation as of late. They have two netminders who are playing well enough to earn themselves the starting role. As a result of this, head coach Todd McLellan has been alternating them between games. Over the course of the road trip, each netminder had three starts. Jonathan Quick went 1-0-2 and Cal Petersen went 3-0-0.
Related: Kings’ Cal Petersen Resurges After Extended Break
While it may seem that Petersen had a far better trip, neither loss was Quicks fault. In the 2-3 shootout loss against the New York Rangers, he kept the Kings in the game with his stellar play and the whole team did not have a great game in their 3-4 overtime loss against the Flyers. Petersen, on the other hand, played a truly great game against the Devils and had a solid effort against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He almost had a shutout against the Islanders, but that did not happen due to their late-game surge.
This is exactly where the Kings want to be with their goaltending situation. It gives them a lot of flexibility. They can play each goaltender when he is on a hot streak while always knowing that they have another goalie who is ready to step in should he be needed. Right now, since both netminders are hot, it makes sense to rotate them so they are both getting significant playing time. It will be interesting to see what the team does in the event that they make the playoffs: will they continue to use two goalies or pick between their experienced veteran and their young newcomer?
Milestone Moments
The Kings had two major milestone moments over the course of this trip. While one is representative of a long, successful career, the other signifies the start of a career. In the Kings’ 3-2 win against the Islanders, Drew Doughty celebrated his 1,000th career NHL game and rookie Quinton Byfield netted his first goal in his 10th career game.
Adding some special moments like this really adds to the historic nature of this road trip. The team did come together and, overall, played very well throughout what was certainly a grueling East Coast tour. If they can keep this energy up going down the stretch, they should have a very solid chance at making the playoffs come spring.
The Playoff Picture
The Kings’ stellar play on this road trip put them in the best possible position they could be in for making the playoffs. They are currently sitting at second place in the Pacific Division. They are only two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first place putting them way above expectations going into the season.
While teams like the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers may threaten the Kings’ current position due to catching up on games postponed due to COVID-19 precautions throughout this month, unless they both go on absolute tears, the Kings should still be well within a playoff spot when they return to play against Edmonton on Feb. 15.
Upon returning from their extensive break, the team needs to immediately regain the momentum they had on the trip. The rest of February will be key for the team as, in addition to playing Edmonton, they will also be suiting up against division rivals Vegas and Anaheim. These teams are all in the hunt for the Pacific Division’s three playoff spots and winning these four-point games will put the Kings in an even better position going down the stretch.
The rest of the season will certainly be interesting for the Kings. While the season, as a whole, has been streaky, they have had some really strong patches where they consistently play well. As demonstrated by their recent road trip, they do have the ability to play well night after night even during a difficult schedule. If they can just tweak a few things, such as their special teams play, they will quickly become a formidable opponent that is a legitimate playoff threat.
